GALT, CA (MPG) - The Galt Warriors came out with a plan and, for a stretch of the first half, made it work. But a string of turnovers and a Golden Sierra offense that capitalized on every mistake turned a competitive game into a 47-7 non-conference loss Thursday night at Galt, one that ended under the mercy rule and dropped the Warriors to 0-2 on the season.

Galt received the opening kickoff and marched to the 30-yard line before the drive stalled and the Warriors turned the ball over on downs with seven minutes left in the first quarter. Golden Sierra needed less than a minute to make them pay, mixing a couple of strong runs with passes before scoring at the 6:09 mark for a 7-0 lead.

The Warriors brought the ensuing kickoff out to the 25 but could not convert a first down and punted with 3:42 remaining in the quarter. Galt’s defense answered, forcing a Golden Sierra punt, but the Warriors turned the ball over on downs a second time, and Golden Sierra scored again to go up 14-0 with three minutes left in the opening period.

Galt found its footing early in the second quarter. With the ball to start the period, the Warriors put together their best drive of the night and finished it in the end zone, cutting the deficit to 14-7 and swinging the momentum to the home sideline.

It did not last. Golden Sierra answered immediately after the kickoff, scoring with 7:16 left in the half to push the lead back to two touchdowns. The Warriors punted with 6:30 remaining, and the defense once again forced Golden Sierra to punt. But the kick inadvertently bounced off a Galt player, Golden Sierra recovered, and one play later they ran around the edge for a score. The gaffe turned a possession the Warriors should have had into a 27-7 deficit with 2:01 left in the half. Galt punted with 35 seconds left, and the teams went to the break with Golden Sierra ahead 27-7.

Golden Sierra extended the lead to 33-7 with 11 minutes left in the third quarter. The Warriors punted on their next possession, but the defense stiffened and forced another Golden Sierra punt with 5:56 remaining in the period.

The highlight of the night for Galt came with 2:15 left in the third quarter, when sophomore Rick Akers stepped in front of a pass and returned a long interception, giving the Warriors their best field position in some time. The offense, however, could not capitalize and punted the ball away again.

Golden Sierra scored with 9:31 left in the game to make it 40-7. On Galt’s next possession, a pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown, pushing the score to 47-7 and putting the game under the mercy rule with roughly three minutes to play.

Golden Sierra recovered an onside kick and took over with 1:55 left, but the Galt defense fought to the final whistle and kept them out of the end zone.

The Warriors managed just 97 yards of total offense, 85 of them on the ground on 19 carries. Senior Anthony Trejo led the way with 36 yards on three carries, including a 33-yard run that was Galt’s longest play of the night. Senior Arthur Cordova added 29 yards on four carries with a long of 15, and sophomore Sean Mace carried seven times for 14 yards. Junior Richard Geier (three carries, four yards) and senior Carlos Sterni (one carry, two yards) rounded out the rushing attack.
Akers, in addition to his interception, hauled in Galt’s only completion of the night, a 12-yard catch. Up front, senior lineman Axel Olmos Virgen was credited with three pancake blocks.

Head Coach JJ Woodward did not shy away from the result afterward.

“We were in the football game early,” Woodward said. “We cut it to 14-7 in the second quarter and had some momentum, but when things started going against us, we didn’t respond the way we needed to. We let one bad play turn into another, and eventually the game got away from us.

“Now we find out what kind of football team we want to become. We can make excuses, or we can come together, show up every day, work for each other and get better. Changing a culture doesn’t happen when things are easy. It happens in moments like this.

“The scoreboard was 47-7, and we own it. I expect our guys to come back together, practice with purpose and start becoming the football team we know we can be.”

Golden Sierra improved to 1-1. The Warriors return to action Friday against Natomas.